One of my new favorite travel destinations is Marrakech, Morocco. Why? Friendly people, good food, and a much more unique city-vibe than many spots in Europe or North America. The Muslim culture is positively present and welcomes respectful Westerners. Arabic and French are most commonly spoken, but many folks also know enough English to get by. (You'll get extra points if you can sprinkle a few French pleasantries in your dialogue--it's not that hard.)
WHAT TO DO?
*Editor's Note: Post updated in 2024.
Some like it hot and some like it not.
Some like it hard and some like it soft.
Some like it early and some like it late.
Some like yoga and some are dumb. ;)
Our newest Athletic-Minded Traveler assistant editor, Daniel Gaz, wrote this post.
Nougat what? Until traveling to Germany recently, I never had heard of these chocolate nutella-filled, crunchy, cereal squares that are just deeee-licious!
True, they're not exactly healthy, but they became a breakfast staple for me--I even brought a box home to the States. To my tastebuds' dismay, Nougat Bits are not sold anywhere in the U.S. Trader Joe's carried something similar until a month or so ago, but not since. And Aldi's USA stores don't seem to offer them either. Can't figure out why?
If traveling with your bike and shopping airfares, definitely consider the cost to ship your bike as part of your overall ticket price. Also check this updated post.
Editor's Note: This post was partially updated 2023.
Bike lanes in Germany--and throughout Europe for that matter--are so common that you actually notice when there isn't one. Two things I noticed about German bike lanes:
1) Safer - In the city centers, they are part of the sidewalk NOT the street. Thus providing additional protection from car traffic.
On my international trip two weeks ago, I flew on Lufthansa from Chicago to Dusseldorf and United from Frankfurt to Washington D.C.--each way in coach as our business travel budget does not support first or business class premiums.
The Lufthansa flight was far superior:
1) More Leg Room - every inch counts when on an airplane for 8+ hours (especially if you are 6ft. tall or more).
It's about time that Germany gets some dap on the AMT travel portal. Editorial staffers are off to Dusseldorf, Cologne, Munich and Frankfurt to find the healthiest sausage, beer, hotels and more in the land of Deutsch.
Auf Wiedersehen...
Have you noticed the cheap fares from the United States to London?
Virgin Atlantic has deals from Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. But you better be quick to lock in. Round trip fares range from $500 to $610. Not bad. But then you have to add in "taxes, air passenger duties and the September 11th security charges" which amounts to a whopping $250. There goes the good deal!
